Train-line coupling



A. LECLAiR. TRAINULINE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1919.RENEWED DEC. 2. 1920.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDRE LECLAIR, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

TRAIN-LINE COUPLING.

' Application filed June 14, 1919, Serial No. 304,332.

Toallwhom it may concern? Be it known that I, ALEXANDRE LECLAIR, asubject'of the King of Great Britain, and residing at 195 Deli'nellestreet, in the city and District of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec,in the Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and usefulTrain-LineCoupling, of which the following is a specification. 1 Y Y The inventionrelates totrain line couplers as'described in the present specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially in the novel means employed, wherebythe'fluid passages are maintained in a direct line of flow at the jointsbetween cars.

The objects of the invention are to avoid the dangers incident tocoupling train lines by means of the customary hose connections; toinsure better joints between cars; to save power by the elimination ofelbows and other diverting elements in the line flow of fluid andincident to connecting the pipe lines of one car to the pipe lines ofthe other cars; to reduce weight of parts necessary in such equipments;and generally to provide a simple, cheap, durable and efiicient couplerfor the fluid'pipe lines.

block. 40

. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of thecoupling device, showing also the draw bars and car couplers. V V

Fig. 2 is a front view of the casing without the coupling block, inorder to disclose the interior arrangements for the flexibility oftheblock.

. Fig. 3 is a perspective'detail of a coupling Fig. 4 is a perspectivedetail of one of the carriages supporting the coupling block.

ike numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings, the block indicated by the numeral 1 is thecoupling member at each end of a car and coacts with a similar member onthe next car in making the joint.

Theblock l is formed with the vertical and curved tongues 2 and 3, oneon one side and the other on the other side and, the flat face 4.

' .The fluid tube holes 5, 6 and 7 are arranged in a vertical row andextend through the block and around these holes are recesses V 8 in theface 4, each containing a washer 9,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921. Renewed December 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,846.

which encircle the end of the flexible rubber I tubes 10, 11 and 12.

The guiding pin 13'having a cone-shaped head 14 pro ects from the face 1intermediate of the height thereof and to one side of the. said fluid Vholes and at the other side a corresponding guide pin hole 15 is made inthe face to receive the guide pin from the co'uplingblock ofthe nextcar. The spllt guiding flange 16 is secured to the block 1 and extendsbeyond the face 4 and 'isbeveled on the inner side 17 for centeringpurposes, one half of said flange being sewith a curved and verticalgroove 21, in which the tongues 2 and 3 fit and slide, and

the horizontal rail groove 22 across the back centrally of the height.

The lugs 23 and 241 project outwardly from the face of each carriagemember 20 at the top and bottom and have the pins 25 and 26 extendinginwardly therefrom. Another pin 27 extends from the rear end of eachcarriage member intermediate of. the height thereof and the spiralsprings 28. encircle said pins27. d

The'lugs 23 and 24 are in vertical alinement with the lugs 18 and thepins 25 and 26 with the pins 19and the spiral springs '29 and 30 on eachside'balancethe coupling block 1 between the lugs 23 and 24; The casing31 is formed with the horizonrtal rails 32 centrally *of the height ofthe inner side walls, on which the carriages 20 slide in the grooves 22,and the pin holes 33 through the back for the pins 27, the springs 28providing the required resiliency between the rearends of thecarriages20 and the 7 back wall of the casing 31.

The casing 31 is secured by the bracket 34 to the draw bar 35 andfurther braced by the struts 36 to said draw bar.

. The draw bar 35 terminates theautomatic coupler 37 as customary andwhich has nothing to do with this invention for any form of coupler maybe used, but in the type illustrated or any other kind, the center line38 of the coupler members of the car is in direct Cir line with a linethrough the meeting faces of the train line coupling blocks, but thesame line from-the regular couplingmember, when the cars are separatedis behind the face line of the coupling block 1 because the springs tothe rear of the latter impel it forwardly, as soon as his free fromengagement with thecoupling block of the next car.

' In the operation of this invention, the cars are brought togetherasusual and the automatic couplers engage in the well known fashion andthis effectually locks the cars together until released. As the carscome together the guiding pins from the faces of the coupling blocks ofthe train lines find the holes respectively in the meeting faces andslide in until centered] Simultaneously the split'guide flanges meetvthe oppositeblock edges and contribute to the centering in addition totheir function of closing in efficiently the meeting faces forming thejoint:

The vertical springs supporting the blocks from the carriages supply theadjustability for cars of different height and as cars generally do notvary more than a few inches or less, it is very easy to take care ofdifferent standard designsof cars. The horizontal springs behind thecarriages provide the resiliency, required to hold the meeting blockstogether and to furnish the necessary flexibility to keep said facestogether in rounding curves and during vibratory movement incident tothe travel of railway cars.

There are no release measures required, as the coupling block facessimply meet and part without in any way interlocking.

' The tube holes in the coupling block of the last car are plugged withany kind of stopper threaded or otherwise, as it is obvious that theymust be closed at the rear end and this forms no part of my invention.'Many changes may be made in the details ofconstruction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and so long as they arewithin the scope of the, claims for nov elty followin not beinvalidated. j- What I :claim is g, the protection granted shall v 1. Ina train line coupler,a coupling block 7 Y formed in the front face tomeet an opposing and coacting block and having fluid passagestherethrough and lugs from its back and pins from said lugs, a casingfor said block, and carriage members having upper and lower lugs andsprings from said lugs cushioned against said lugs from the block andspring held to their forward position.

2. In a train line coupler, a coupling block formed in the front face tomeet a coacting block and center itself and having fluid passages andintermediate lugs from the back, carriage members slidably supportingsaid block and having top and bottom lugs in alinement with theaforesaid lugs, the latter being spring held therebetween, springsmounted on pins attached to said carriage o members and holding thelatter to their forward position, and a casing having tracks for saidcarriages andholes for said pins and rigidly supported from the drawbar.

3. In a train line coupler, a casing rigidly supported from the draw barhaving, side rails'and pin holes in theiback, a coupling block having afront face formed to meet and center ona similar face on a coactingblock and fluid passages therethrough, flexible tubes extending-throughsaid passages,

resilient washers recessed: in said vface and encircling said tubes,carnagemembers having a groove-fitting to said ralls across the .backandvertical grooves in the face fitting to correspondingtongues from thecoupling block, lugs from the top and bottom of said carriage membershaving fpins projecting therefrom, intermediate lugs from the couplingblock having pins projecting therefrom, springs on said pins betweensaid intermediate lugs and said top and bottom lugs, pins secured tosaid carriage members and projecting rearwardly through the pin holesin'said casing and encircling said rearwardly extending pins between theback wall of the casing andthe rear'end walls of said carriage members.7 6

' Signed at the jcity -of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, this 9th day ofJune, 1919.

: ALEXANDRE LEGLAVIVR;

